The first full day of the 2018 School of the Americas (SOA) Watch Encounter at the Border was, in the words of Sister Janice Holkup, OP, more like two days. It was a day of both intense emotions and intense learning about the many barriers that are intentionally erected between communities by people in power.

Sister Kathleen Nolan, OP, Coordinator of the Adrian Dominican Sisters' Office of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation, organized the participation in the Encounter at the Border of six Sisters from the
... Show Full ArticleNOGALES, Arizona, Nov. 18 -- Adrian Dominican Sisters issued the following news:
The first full day of the 2018 School of the Americas (SOA) Watch Encounter at the Border was, in the words of Sister Janice Holkup, OP, more like two days. It was a day of both intense emotions and intense learning about the many barriers that are intentionally erected between communities by people in power.
Sister Kathleen Nolan, OP, Coordinator of the Adrian Dominican Sisters' Office of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation, organized the participation in the Encounter at the Border of six Sisters from theCongregation: Sister Kathleen and Sisters Joan Baustian, OP, Maurine Barzantni, OP, Janice Holkup, OP, Barbara Kelley, OP, and Susan Van Baalen, OP.

The Sisters began their day of discovery by visiting the border of the United States and Mexico, marked by a miles-long, 18-feet-high wall topped by razor wire and surrounded by mesh - to prevent people on either side of the wall from reaching through the parallel metal slats that separates the U.S. and Mexico. At several points along the way, people are prevented from getting close to the wall by a second lower fence.

"It seemed unreal even though it was real," Sister Janice said. "It was such a shock to see the immensity and the physicality of the wall running right down the middle of the street, dividing neighbors." The wall divides into two what had been one city with open national borders - Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonoma, Mexico.

The visit to the wall shocked both the Sisters who had never been to the Arizona-Sonoma border and the Sisters who had attended the SOA Watch Encounters at the Border in previous years. Just a year ago, people could stretch their arms through the space between the slats and make a physical connection across the border. The addition of the mesh, the second wall around the wall, and the razor wire made even that physical connection impossible.

However, Sister Susan witnessed a hopeful activity that proved that even a wall such as this could never fully divide people. She described an activist on the U.S. side, after several attempts, lobbing a small piece of candy over the wall, where it was picked up and enjoyed by a man on the Mexican side.

Today, Sharon McGowan, Legal Director and Chief Strategy Officer of Lambda Legal, issued the following statement after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell invoked cloture on the nomination of Thomas Farr, Donald Trump's nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina:

"Lambda Legal condemns Senator McConnell's decision to schedule a vote on Thomas Farr's nomination in the wake of a midterm election plagued by voter suppression and attempts to undermine the voting rights of vulnerable minorities
... Show Full ArticleWASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- Lambda Legal issued the following news release:
Today, Sharon McGowan, Legal Director and Chief Strategy Officer of Lambda Legal, issued the following statement after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell invoked cloture on the nomination of Thomas Farr, Donald Trump's nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina:
"Lambda Legal condemns Senator McConnell's decision to schedule a vote on Thomas Farr's nomination in the wake of a midterm election plagued by voter suppression and attempts to undermine the voting rights of vulnerable minoritiesacross the country. Thomas Farr has spent his career defending discriminatory voter ID laws that target African Americans 'with almost surgical precision.' Access to the ballot box should be open to all, regardless of race, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Thomas Farr's attempts to infringe upon and thwart the right to vote for African Americans in North Carolina is a threat to everyone's democracy. We urge each and every Senator to reject this nomination."

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Greenpeace Canada Activists Released in Spain After 33-Hour Detention Over Peaceful Protest Against Dirty Palm Oil

The six activists who were detained for 33 hours on board a shipment carrying dirty palm oil into Europe have been released by Spanish authorities in Algeciras. Among them is Victoria Henry, a Canadian woman from Burnaby, B.C.

The Greenpeace International volunteers climbed onto the Stolt Tenacity tanker at dawn on Saturday, and delayed its journey from Indonesia to The Netherlands for almost two days.

The climbers were protesting a 185-metre long cargo loaded with palm oil products from Wilmar, the biggest palm
... Show Full ArticleALGECIRAS, Spain, Nov. 18 -- Greenpeace Canada issued the following news release:
The six activists who were detained for 33 hours on board a shipment carrying dirty palm oil into Europe have been released by Spanish authorities in Algeciras. Among them is Victoria Henry, a Canadian woman from Burnaby, B.C.
The Greenpeace International volunteers climbed onto the Stolt Tenacity tanker at dawn on Saturday, and delayed its journey from Indonesia to The Netherlands for almost two days.
The climbers were protesting a 185-metre long cargo loaded with palm oil products from Wilmar, the biggest palmoil trader in the world, which trades in palm oil associated with rainforest destruction.

"In delaying this shipment of dirty palm oil, these brave activists have shone a light on how the palm oil industry needs to change in order to prevent a further climate and extinction crisis. This must start with Wilmar, the world's largest palm oil trader who can and should be an example to the others. We also demand that Mondelez, makers of Oreo cookies, drop Wilmar as a supplier until it can prove it no longer trades palm oil from forest destroyers", said Kiki Taufik, Greenpeace spokesperson.

Wilmar is a major supplier to global snack food giant Mondelez, one of the world's largest buyers of palm oil, which it uses in many of its best-known products, including Oreo cookies, Cadbury chocolate bars, and Ritz crackers. Canada was named by Mondelez as one of the Oreo cookies' biggest markets.

The Stolt Tenacity was safely scaled early Saturday morning by the six women and men from Indonesia, Germany, the UK, France, Canada, and the US. No charges have been made against the climbers by the shipping company or the authorities.

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza is remaining in the area to keep watch over the tanker, Stolt Tenacity, which is still carrying the dirty palm oil.

The plantation sector--palm oil and pulp--is the single largest driver of deforestation in Indonesia. Around 24 million hectares of rainforest was destroyed in Indonesia between 1990 and 2015, according to official figures released by the Indonesian government (1).

The Animal Welfare Institute is gravely disappointed that some of the recommendations released today by the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery and Task Force fail to take bold action to save these endangered whales while ignoring public support for dam removal and public opposition to sea lion killings.

In March, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee established the task force with the directive to develop "swift near-term actions and effective long-term actions necessary to recover these iconic and endangered animals."
... Show Full ArticleWASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The Animal Welfare Institute issued the following news release:
The Animal Welfare Institute is gravely disappointed that some of the recommendations released today by the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery and Task Force fail to take bold action to save these endangered whales while ignoring public support for dam removal and public opposition to sea lion killings.
In March, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee established the task force with the directive to develop "swift near-term actions and effective long-term actions necessary to recover these iconic and endangered animals."Today, the task force published its final report, presenting 36 recommendations to the governor.

AWI opposes a task force recommendation to continue to study dam removal, rather than strategically targeting certain dams for removal. AWI also strongly opposes the recommendation to pursue lethal control of sea lions in the Columbia River Basin as a means of increasing the number of salmon that reach the spawning grounds. Killing sea lions will not help restore salmon runs, especially given the pressures of human fishing on these salmon stocks.

Moreover, the task force has disregarded public input. Its original dam removal recommendation had strong public support yet was eventually withdrawn. The public has consistently opposed the lethal removal of sea lions in the Columbia River Basin. The task force, however, supported and expanded on a federal proposal for a cull among its final recommendations.

"The lethal removal of pinnipeds is not supported by the public nor is it based on science, best available or otherwise," stated Dr. Naomi Rose, marine mammal scientist for AWI. "The pursuit of this proposal, and its inclusion in the final recommendations to the governor, show the political calculus at the heart of the task force."

The proposal to remove four low production dams along the Lower Snake River was so widely backed by the public in the last comment period that task force staff did not have enough time to process the nearly 9,000 supportive comments before the final meeting. The task force noted in its final recommendations that "in the Columbia River Basin, dams completely block passage to more than 55 percent of the spawning and rearing habitat historically used by Chinook." Yet the group does not propose any actions leading to immediate dam removal.

"AWI has fervently maintained that dam removal would yield the greatest benefit toward restoring functional ecosystems in the Columbia River Basin and Washington state waters," said Ryan Ososki, policy advisor at AWI. "Dams, culverts and other barriers throughout the Columbia River basin have had, in our opinion, the single most damaging impact on salmon stocks and southern resident killer whales."

AWI believes that the strategic removal of dams along the Lower Snake River would be most beneficial to orca and salmon recovery.

"We're deeply disappointed by the task force's inclusion of several relatively inconsequential actions among its recommendations, while failing to promote the bold actions requested by Governor Inslee," said Cathy Liss, AWI's president. "Southern resident killer whales and the Chinook salmon on which they fundamentally depend are headed toward extinction. We had hoped that the task force would tackle big issues such as dam removal and habitat restoration in order to save these populations."

Task force documents note that its members sought "consensus" recommendations.

"In an effort to reach consensus, the task force has abandoned its mandate from Governor Inslee to take bold steps to benefit orca and salmon recovery," stated Liss. "Indeed, the aim of reaching only consensus recommendations has prevented the task force from producing truly substantive proposals for action."

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: Church Helps Provide Comfort and Aid to California Fire Victims

PARADISE, California, Nov. 18 -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued the following news release:

In the aftermath of the deadliest fire in California history, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are reaching out to those who need help.

Several hundred people gathered Saturday morning at a warehouse in Oroville, California, to fill 5,000 food boxes for victims of the Camp Fire. That fire heavily damaged the town of Paradise and surrounding areas and has displaced tens of thousands of people.

The supplies, donated by the Church, also included 5,000 personal
... Show Full ArticlePARADISE, California, Nov. 18 -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued the following news release:
In the aftermath of the deadliest fire in California history, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are reaching out to those who need help.
Several hundred people gathered Saturday morning at a warehouse in Oroville, California, to fill 5,000 food boxes for victims of the Camp Fire. That fire heavily damaged the town of Paradise and surrounding areas and has displaced tens of thousands of people.
The supplies, donated by the Church, also included 5,000 personalhygiene kits filled with towels, toothbrushes and other toiletries. Church members from the Gridley California Stake (a group of congregations) joined the community to prepare the materials for distribution to fire victims.

Linda Dahlmeier, mayor of Oroville, praised the work of the volunteers who showed up on very short notice.

"It's amazing," said Dahlmeier. "This word was put out last night and this is what we have today."

"It warms my heart," added Keith Stutznegger, a Latter-day Saint who helped recruit people to join the service project. "This is what the Savior wants people to do is help others. It's what it's all about."

Rosa Howald, a 15-year-old Latter-day Saint from Oroville, was one of those who showed up to help.

"I have friends up there, and I know a lot of people that just lost their homes," she said as she filled a box of food. "I know just this little bit will help."

The impact of the fire has been widespread and devastating, including in one congregation in Paradise. Roughly 95 percent of the Church members lost their homes there. The congregation's bishop, Robert Harrison, and his wife, Gretchen, are among them.

"There were times when we were evacuating that I didn't know if we were all going to make it back together again," said Gretchen Harrison. She said she is now comforted by seeing "people come together and support us and love us and just take care of us when we can't do it ourselves."

Brynn Chatfield, a Latter-day Saint from Paradise, also lost her home, as did her parents and three siblings. As the flames overtook her hometown, she and her husband fled down the mountain. She prayed as they drove.

"That was a very important conversation with my Heavenly Father," said Chatfield. "It's made me realize how many people use prayer in their lives and how important prayer is, and actually how simple prayer can be."

In the days following the fire, many have offered prayers and jumped into action.

In Chico, California, members opened the doors of a meetinghouse to the community. Anyone was able to stop by and pick up a variety of supplies, including clothing, shoes, toiletries, food and other items.

Beth Brogden, a Paradise resident, happened to stop by the meetinghouse Friday and was surprised to see what was inside. She left with supplies that she and her friends -- who all lost their homes -- desperately need.

"We all had to get out so quickly we didn't have time to empty our houses," Brogden said. As she looked through all the supplies available at the meetinghouse, she wept. "It's awesome."

Elder Kevin W. Pearson, a senior Church leader who oversees the North America Southwest and West Areas, spent the weekend ministering to fire victims.

"The way people have pulled together and in moments of their own personal desperation reached out to one another is absolutely overwhelming," said Elder Pearson.

At one visit, Elder Pearson met with a man who lost his home and is staying with his parents. The Church leader presented the man with a picture of Jesus Christ carrying a light in the darkness.

"When things seem at their worst and you don't know how you're going to figure it out, I've learned from my own life that He's there," Elder Pearson said.

The road to recovery will be long, and many are simply taking it one day at a time. But those who have lost everything have also found ways to stay positive in the face of widespread devastation.

"We hear how bad the world is, but we have seen so much good," said Chatfield. "We can definitely feel the prayers and the strength from others."

Peters will meet with the Center's field staff, members of government, and the international community.

"Although this is my first trip to Sudan as CEO, The Carter Center has been working with the people of Sudan to support peace
... Show Full ArticleATLANTA, Georgia, Nov. 18 -- The Carter Center issued the following news release:
Carter Center Chief Executive Officer Ambassador (ret.) Mary Ann Peters will visit Sudan Nov. 18 and 19 to explore ways The Carter Center can contribute to durable peace and advance efforts to control or eliminate neglected tropical diseases, particularly river blindness and trachoma.
Peters will meet with the Center's field staff, members of government, and the international community.
"Although this is my first trip to Sudan as CEO, The Carter Center has been working with the people of Sudan to support peaceand health since 1986," Peters said. "I look forward to meeting with project leaders to learn more about our work in Sudan and discuss possible future endeavors focused on synergies between our peace and health activities. The Carter Center is committed to help secure a better future for all Sudanese."

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The Advancement Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit that develop and inspire community-based solutions based on the same high quality legal analysis and public education campaigns, issued the following news:

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WHAT: NAACP, Advancement Project national office and African American Research

Monday,
... Show Full ArticleWASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The Advancement Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit that develop and inspire community-based solutions based on the same high quality legal analysis and public education campaigns, issued the following news:
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WHAT: NAACP, Advancement Project national office and African American Research
Collaborative Discuss Voting Behavior and Impact of Black Vote in 2018 Midterm Elections
WHEN: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 11 am ET
DIAL IN: 785-424-1669; PASSCODE: "POLL"
WEBINAR LINK: http://connexevent.adobeconnect.com/poll111918/
An RSVP is requested to Nicky Vogt: nicole@npstrategygroup.com
Monday,November 19, at 11 am ET, the NAACP, Advancement Project national office and African American Research Collaborative will examine the first comprehensive analysis of how black voters voted this cycle and why.

The new poll takes a look at African-American voters across various competitive elections to determine how this electorate engaged in 2018 and how these findings might shape the future of elections.

The key takeaway of this poll is clear: 2018 wins across the country were dependent on voters of color, particularly Black voters. For greater wins, policymakers will need to invest in communities of color and the issues that matter most to these constituents.

The poll focused on six states with competitive elections (CA, FL, GA, TX, NV, and AZ), as well as a national survey of House battleground districts. The poll was based on randomly selected voters across the entire state, or congressional district, giving all voters an equal chance to participate. This election eve poll, which more accurately captures voters of color than exit polls, will demonstrate how Black voters shaped the outcome of the 2018 election.